DIY Plant Tabs

[Rxblade123]

Has anyone ever done this? If so could you tell me how to make them? In the LFS I find some, but they cost about 9 dollars for like 10. Don't want to spend that much and want to go a cheaper way.

 

[RogerMcAllen]

What is a plant tab, like a fertilizer tablet?

 

[Rxblade123]

Yea, like those tabs you put into the gravel to give nutrients to plants that take lots of nutrients through their roots.

 

[malkore]

I make them. You need an inert clay powder, and either Plantex CSM, or PMDD pre-mixed powder.

My best suggestion is to get the tab making kit from www.plantguild.com which has the ingredients, instructions, and soem basic tools to get you started.

 

[Rxblade123]

I don't really want to spend $30 + Shipping. Does anybody know where I can get the ingredients beside online?

 

[malkore]

well, use that website and write down their description of the clay powder. Plantex CSM will be reasonbly easy to find online, but locally...I'm not so sure.
A pound of CSM would run about $12. A pound of that clay powder is probably a $1.
And that'd probably make 300-500 root tabs.
I'd search online to find the types of stores that sell the powder, then try to find a similar local store. But you may have little luck. In my small city of 250,000, I can't get stuff locally.
The garden centers/nursuries here didn't know what potassium nitrate was, so of course they didn't carry it. plantex CSM is even more 'specialized' I think.

 

[BASSNMAN]

How often to you need to replace the home made tabs? weekly, monthly?

 

[malkore]

depends on how big you make them. usually monthly or every other month.

 

[Rxblade123]

So the ingredients needed is Plantex CSM and the clay powder? What is the clay powder called?

 

[malkore]

http://www.plantguild.com/html/chemicals.html
PLANTGUILD PELLET EXTENDER POWDERED CLAY

 

[Rxblade123]

is that the cheapest place to buy the stuff?

 

[malkore]

I don't know. You're going to have to do some research yourself.